Keowee Systems, Inc.

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FORMagic/PDF
Windows Form Creator and Merger

The FORMagic/PDF Windows Form Creator and Merger allows you to quickly and easily create PDF files, including overlay forms, from text files created by other applications. With the Host Automation feature, the entire process can be automated to handle print files created on multiple host machines. With FORMagic/PDF, you can eliminate expensive, pre-printed forms and give documents a more formal and pleasing appearance while reducing or eliminating printing entirely, all with minor or even no changes in your existing applications!
FORMagic/PDF contains three distinct components which can reside on the same or different machines. Each component is described more fully below:

Form Creator: Performs form generation activities that prepare overlay forms for insertion into PDF files at run-time.
Form Merger: Generates PDF files, with forms as needed, from incoming print files created by various user applications.
Optional Host Automation Feature: Provides support to check a folder periodically for incoming print files and invoke the Form Merger automatically.

Form Creator:
Prior to using the FORMagic/PDF Form Creator, the form must be composed as a one-page document using any word processor, text editor, desktop publisher, form maker, or graphics design system. You can use any feature provided by your software: lines, symbols, boxes, images, logos, extra text, blackouts, whiteouts, shading, barcodes, special fonts, drawing and paint facilities, and more; if your design product allows it, you can use it in your form! Most of our customers use Word, Excel, or Word Perfect to design their forms; paying for and learning how to use special software to design forms is definitely not required!
Once the form is completed as a one-page document, you must use a PDF writer product to create an uncompressed, full size, one-page PDF document file. Generally, this is done simply by printing to a "printer" which is actually a pdf file writer. The resulting PDF file will serve as input to the FORMagic/PDF Form Creator. Because various PDF writers generate highly different internal data streams, we cannot guarantee to support all of them. At this time, we can only guarantee to support Adobe Acrobat Writer (because it sets the standard) and CutePDF Writer (because it does a great job and it's even free at www.cutepdf.com!). Alternatively, we can create the one-page PDF form file for you for a small fee, provided your original document is created in Microsoft Word or Excel and saved in the Word 97 or Excel 97 format.
The Form Creator can now generate an overlay meta file from the one-page PDF file. This file must be copied to any workstation using the Form Merger component to insert the form into final output PDF files as described below.

Form Merger:
The FORMagic/PDF Form Merger processes print files generated by various applications residing on any host platform, including the iSeries, AS/400, i5, Linux, Windows, DOS, Unix, AIX, Sun, DEC, HP, even IBM mainframes.
The Form Merger will generate an output PDF file containing the incoming application print file data with no overlay form, or with the same overlay form on every page. In the future, FORMagic/PDF will support a variety of complex merge scenarios, the same as provided by FORMagic/400 AutoMerge, allowing different overlay forms on different pages. PDF output files are limited to approximately 31,000 pages and are not compressed.
The PDF generation and form merge process is initiated by invoking a Windows executable with command line parameters specifying the names and locations for the input application print file, output PDF file, and merge control file. The process can be invoked in three ways: manually from a command line, from a user application performing a command line call, or automatically via the Host Automation facility.
Merge control files provide a flexible structure for setting PDF generation parameters commonly needed by host print files. They provide highly granular control over processing options such as LPI, CPI, page orientation, page size, page/data alignment, overlay forms, lines/page, deleting last page when blank, and more. Limited support for handling embedded PCL commands in the incoming print file can also be provided on a special basis.
Incoming application print files must be in the standard ASCII text format, organized according to one of three methods which allow the Form Merger to determine line spacing and page breaks:

The file must contain ASCII x"0C" form feed characters at page breaks and use blank lines to control vertical spacing.
If the file omits ASCII x"0C" form feed characters, the Lines Per Page parameter must be specified in the Merge Control File and blank lines must be used to control vertical spacing.
The file can be formatted with First Character Forms Control characters to specify page breaks and line spacing. Many host systems, such as AS/400 and mainframes, provide utilities which convert host spoolfiles into text files with this format.

Host Automation Feature:
The optional Host Automation feature provides support to check a folder periodically for incoming application print files and automatically invoke the FORMagic/PDF run-time generation and form merge process. Thus, fully unattended processing with minimal or no change to existing applications can be achieved. Though specially priced as a feature of FORMagic/PDF, it is provided through a separate download and installation of the FORMagic/400 Document Integration Server.
The Host Automation feature is especially useful with AS/400 and other host systems providing utilities to convert spooled print files into text files in the First Character Forms Control (FCFC) format. Because FORMagic/PDF supports incoming print files in the FCFC format, it can easily create PDF files, with optional forms, for both host and network applications.

FORMagic/PDF Provides Major Benefits:

Eliminate pre-printed invoices, statements, purchase orders, and more. Reduce forms printing expense and obsolescence, end delays arising from out-of-stock forms, and never stop to load special forms again!
Dress up plain paper documents. Add forms and images to sales reports, accounting reports, image archives prints, anything printed on plain paper!
Improve the headings and constant information in documents generated by purchased software. Overlay existing text with new font styles and sizes, graphics, images, and white space. Even ugly, space-consuming boiler-plate legalese can be replaced with information tailored to your needs.
Eliminate the need to scrap forms made obsolete by constant changes in telephone numbers, area codes, ZIP codes, mailing addresses, and E-mail addresses. Print everything "on demand"!
Use different forms with each application. FORMagic/PDF even handles complex, multi-page documents with separate forms on every page! (Multiple forms in one PDF file will be available in a future version.)
Eliminate manual signatures; use electronic equivalents wherever needed.
Reduce or eliminate printing entirely! Use email to distribute PDF files which can be printed at the destination, if printing is needed at all! The Host Automation facility includes optional support to execute special processes written by the application developer or by Keowee Systems, so it's a snap to automate the sending of emails with attached PDF files!
Reduce or eliminate archival paper storage; just archive the PDF files, complete with forms.
Provide centralized administration and control of forms.

Additional Information:
FORMagic/PDF is intended for use with all 32-bit versions of Windows. It is available on a 30-day, no obligation, fully-functional evaluation basis. Technical support is provided during the evaluation period and for ninety days after purchase. Extended support plans are available. Upgrades for enhanced versions will be offered to current users at a special upgrade price for a reasonable period after the initial availability.
You must purchase sufficient copies (or extra features) of the Creator, Merger, and Host Automation facility to meet the number of actual installations performed. The base product includes one Creator and one Merger, which can be installed on the same or separate machines. Most installations will require only one copy of the Creator and one copy of the Host Automation feature (if used). In cases where a central location maintains applications executed at distributed locations, low-cost "multi-packs" of the Merger component are available.

For more information:
We can provide FORMagic functionality for almost any application on almost any platform! But, applications vary widely. There are frequently multiple options for integrating documents in any application. The best option may not be obvious and must be chosen on a case-by-case basis from a good understanding of the complete application.
Need turnkey services or something special? Our PROfessionals can HELP!

Forms design: complete forms design and preparation services, including generation of one-page PDF forms files from DOC, XLS, and other source files.
Vertical market and corporate customization: special versions of FORMagic/PDF, complete with ready to use forms library, can be prepared to optimize usage with specific corporate or vertical market software packages.
Developer integration: software developers can use FORMagic/PDF technology to "PDF and forms enable" commercial applications quickly and cost-effectively.
OEM programs: special versions suitable for bundling with OEM hardware and software products can be provided at low cost.
If you don't see exactly what you need, please call! We most likely do have what you need; and we will be happy to discuss your application at length, with no obligation, to insure you get the most effective solution possible. You can reach us at:
Keowee Systems, Inc.
418 East Waterside Drive
Seneca, SC 29672
Tel: (864) 885-0094
Fax: (864) 885-0880
Email: 'sales' at our domain
Web: http://www.keoform.com